The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of pigment compositions. It more particularly relates to such compositions which are stabilised, especially with respect to the two major sources of pigment instabilityxe2x80x94microbial contamination and loss of colour strength on storage.
All organic matter is decomposable by micro-organisms which use it as their source of energy. According to estimates, microbial decomposition destroys materials to the value of at least one hundred thousand million dollars several times every year. Organic pigments are widely used for the colouration of formulations (such as inks, paints, toiletries etc.), and are themselves known to be carriers of wide-spread microbial contamination. As to aqueous formulations of pigments it is common practice to add chemical biocides in order to prevent microbial spoilage. Examples of such biocides are commercial preparations based individually or in mixtures on the following molecular types:
1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT);
N-butylbenzisothiazolin-3-one;
5-Chloroisothiazolin-3-one (5-CIT);
Methylisothiazolin-3-one (MIT);
N-octylisothiazolin-3-one;
Pentane-1,5-dialdehyde;
1,3,5-Trishydroxyethyltriazine;
Tetrakishydroxymethylphosphonium sulphate.
These biocides are, however, ineffective at preventing microbial contamination of pigments in the dry state.
In addition, many pigments, in particular monoazo pigments, suffer from the serious disadvantage of loss of colour strength on storage. It is known that some pigment powders may undergo apparent crystallographic modification when stored at ambient temperatures (for example, opaque Pigment Yellow 74 powders on storage increase in opacity and result in colouristically weaker paint compositions). There have been a number of attempts to produce in particular, storage-stable Pigment Yellow 74, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,783 and 5,271,769. Both of these approaches suffer from the problem that they are commercially non-viable due to the high cost of the patented treatments and are difficult to manufacture consistently to achieve the desired stability.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of pigment compositions which are stable with respect to microbial contamination and loss of colour strength, particularly the composition should be simple, reproducible in manufacture, and highly cost-effective.
Accordingly, a process for the preparation of stabilised pigment compositions has been found.
It has been found, too, that water-miscible quaternary ammonium compounds can be used to effectively stabilize pigments with respect to microbial contamination. In addition, it has been found that certain water-immiscible organic solvents stabilize against loss of colour strength on storage. Further, a novel composition, and its use have been found, too.
The inventive process is characterised by mixing a water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound, a water-immiscible organic solvent and a pigment. Preferably, the addition is carried out after the pigment synthesis.
In a preferred embodiment an aqueous slurry of a pigment, for example obtained by re-dispersing (usually according to common methods) a previously formed pigment press-cake (separated from its reaction slurry) in water, is mixed with the water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound and the water-immiscible organic solvent.
In those cases where a pigment is prepared in an aqueous medium, the water-miscible quaternary compound and the water-immiscible organic solvent may be added to the reaction slurry without first separating the pigment from the reaction slurry.
The treated pigment aqueous dispersion is preferably heated to a temperature usually in the range of from 50 to 100xc2x0 C., particularly from 80 to 100xc2x0 C. In general, the heat treatment is carried out for 30 to 200 minutes.
The treated pigment can be separated from the aqueous medium by known methods in the art such as filtration. Preferably it is then washed, stored as a press-cake and finally dried.
After drying, pigment powder may be prepared by common grinding processes such as hammer milling, sifter milling or classifier milling. It is also possible to use dryers which give the pigment directly in the powder form.
As pigments all known inorganic or organic pigments can be used, preferred are the following organic pigments: azo-containing pigments, phthalocyanines, quinacridones, indanthrones, flavanthrones, pyranthrones, perylenes, thioindigos, dioxazines, perinones, isoindolines, isoindolinones, diketopyrrolopyrroles, basic dye complexes and metal complexes.
Preferred pigments, especially with regard to stabilization against loss of clour strength, are monoazo pigments, particularly preferred arylamide pigments of formula I 
where Ar1 and Ar2 independently from each other denote an unsubstituted phenyl group or substituted by one or two substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-C4alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, n-, i-propyl, n-, i-, sec.- or tert.-butyl, preferably methyl, halogen such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, preferably chlorine, nitro and C1-C4alkoxy such as methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, i-propoxy, n-butoxy, preferably methoxy, or a pigment of formula II
Ar1xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94Ar3xe2x80x83xe2x80x83II
where Ar3 denotes a 2-hydroxynaphthyl group which may be further substituted by a carboxylic acid group or by a group xe2x80x94CONHAr2. Such pigments include C.I. Pigment Yellow 1, Yellow 3, Yellow 4, Yellow 5, Yellow 73, Yellow 98, Yellow 111 and especially Yellow 74; C.I. Pigment Red 3 and Red 12 and C.I. Pigment Orange 5.
The water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound may be a compound (or mixture of compounds) of formula III 
wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently of each other stand for C1-C22alkyl, C2-C22alkenyl, benzyl, pyridyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl or polyoxyalkylenyl, and Xnxe2x88x92 is an anion such as a halide like chloride or bromide, hydroxide, sulphate, hydrogen sulphate, phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, nitrate, preferably chloride and hydroxide, most preferably chloride, and n is 1, if the anion is monovalent, 2, if the anion is di-, or 3, if the anion is trivalent.
Preferred as water-miscible quaternary ammonium compounds are those wherein R2 is benzyl. More preferred are compounds wherein R2 is benzyl and R1 and R3 are preferably C1-C4 alkyl, particularly preferred methyl, and R4 is C12-C22alkyl or C12-C22alkenyl. Also preferred are those wherein R1, and R2 are 2-hydroxyethyl and R3 is C1-C4 alkyl, especially methyl.
C1-C22alkyl stands for e.g. linear or branched C1-C22alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, n-, i-propyl, n-, i-, sec.-, tert.-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl, n-undecyl, n-dodecyl, n-tridecyl, n-tetradecyl, n-pentadecyl, n-hexydecyl, n-heptadecyl, n-octadecyl, n-nonadecyl, n-eicosyl, n-uneicosyl, n-doeicosyl, preferably for linear or branched C12-C22alkyl such as n-dodecyl, n-tridecyl, n-tetradecyl, n-pentadecyl, n-hexydecyl, n-heptadecyl, n-octadecyl, n-nonadecyl, n-eicosyl, n-uneicosyl, n-doeicosyl.
C2-C22alkenyl stands for e.g. linear or branched C2-C22alkenyl such as ethenyl, n-, i-propenyl, n-butenyl, n-pentenyl, n-hexenyl, n-heptenyl, n-octenyl, n-nonenyl, n-decenyl, n-undecenyl, n-dodecenyl, n-tridecenyl, n-tetradecenyl, n-pentadecenyl, n-hexydecenyl, n-heptadecenyl, n-octadecenyl, n-nonadecenyl, n-eicosenyl, n-uneicosenyl, n-doeicosenyl, preferably for linear or branched C12-C22alkenyl such as n-dodecenyl, n-tridecenyl, n-tetradecenyl, n-pentadecenyl, n-hexydecenyl, n-heptadecenyl, n-octadecenyl, n-nonadecenyl, n-eicosenyl, n-uneicosenyl, n-doeicosenyl.
Particularly preferred as water-miscible quaternary ammonium compounds are those of the formula IV 
where n is an integer from 12 to 18 and X is an anion, preferably chloride.
In general, the ratio by weight of pigment to water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound is chosen in the range from 50:50 to 99.5:0.5, preferably from 90:10 to 99.5:0.5, particularly preferred from 94:6 to 99:1.
As water-immiscible organic solvents preferably those solvents are chosen which are liquid at room temperature and below a temperature of 100xc2x0 C. such as for example organic acids like C5-C18alkyl carboxylic acids which can be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated esters of such acids, fatty alcohols which are water-immiscible like hydroxyalkylamines or nitriles.
C5-C18alkyl carboxylic acid stands for n-pentyl carboxylic acid, n-hexyl carboxylic acid, n-heptyl carboxylic acid, n-octyl carboxylic acid, 2-ethyl hexyl carboxylic acid, n-nonyl carboxylic acid, n-decyl carboxylic acid (sebaic acid), n-undecyl carboxylic acid, n-dodecyl carboxylic acid, n-tridecyl carboxylic acid, n-tetradecyl carboxylic acid, n-pentadecyl carboxylic acid, n-hexadecyl carboxylic acid, n-heptadecyl carboxylic acid, n-octadecyl carboxylic acid.
Preferred as water-immiscible organic solvents are ethylhexanoic acid, triethanolamineoleate, Nxe2x80x94C1-C4alkyldipropylenetriamine, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-4,7-dihydroxydec-5,6-yne and n-dibutyl sebacate, particularly preferred 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-4,7-dihydroxydec-5,6-yne and n-dibutyl sebacate, especially n-dibutyl sebacate.
The ratio by weight of pigment to water-immiscible organic solvent is for example from 90:10 to 99.5:0.5, preferably from 94:6 to 99:1.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention on hand relates to a process for the preparation of stabilised pigment compositions comprising pigments of the formula 
wherein
R5, R6, R7 and R8 independently of each other are hydrogen, C1-C4alkyl, C1-C4alkoxy, halogen or nitro, which process comprises
a) diazotising an amine of formula VI 
xe2x80x83and coupling onto a coupling component of formula VII 
b) treating the reaction mixture at elevated temperature in presence of at least one water-immiscible organic solvent which is liquid below said treating temperature, and in presence of at least one water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound of the formula III and
c) separating the reaction product.
Preferred alkyl groups for R5, R6, R7 and R8 are methyl and ethyl, especially methyl.
Preferred alkoxy groups for R5, R6, R7 and R8 are methoxy and ethoxy, especially methoxy.
R5, R6, R7 and R8 as halogen are preferably chlorine.
R5, R6, R7 and R8 are preferably independently of each other hydrogen, methyl, methoxy, chlorine or nitro, particularly hydrogen, methoxy or nitro.
Particularly preferred are those pigments of formula V wherein R5 is nitro, R6 and R7 are methoxy, and R8 is hydrogen.
A particularly preferred pigment is 
The diazotisation of the amine of formula VI and the coupling onto the coupling component of formula VII can be carried out according to known methods. Diazotisation usually is carried out in aqueous medium, at low pH (for example 1 to 4) and at a temperature in the range of from xe2x88x925 to 10xc2x0 C., in presence of a nitrite. Coupling, for example, can be carried out in aqueous medium, at a pH of 4 to 7 and a temperature in the range of usually from 0 to 40xc2x0 C.
The water-immiscible organic solvent and the water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound are preferably added after step a). Usually the reaction product is not separated from the reaction slurry directly after diazotisation and coupling. This means that the water-immiscible organic solvent and/or the water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound are preferably added in step b) to the reaction slurry containing the reaction product.
Of most interest is a process, wherein step b) is carried out in the presence of dibutyl sebacate and in the presence of a water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound of the formula IV, wherein n is an integer from 12 to 18 and Xxe2x88x92 is chloride.
The temperature of the heat treatment according to step b) is preferably 50 to 100xc2x0 C., especially 80 to 100xc2x0 C. Usually the heat treatment is carried out for 30 to 200 minutes. For the preparation of powder it is preferred to carry out the heat treatment for about 30 to 90 minutes, whereas for the preparation of beads a time of 90 to 200 minutes is preferred.
The separation according to step c) usually is carried out by filtration.
If desired, beads can be obtained directly after drying. As given before, for the beads it is preferred to carry out the heat treatment for a longer time period. The present invention is further directed to pigment compositions, preferably in powder or bead form, comprising at least one pigment of formula V and a water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound of the formula III. As to these compositions the preferences given before apply.
Another object of the present invention is the use of at least one water-immiscible organic solvent which is liquid below a temperature of 100xc2x0 C. (under ambient pressure), and at least one water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound of the formula III for the preparation of pigment compositions, preferably in powder or bead form, stabilised with respect to loss of colour strength, which compositions contain at least one pigment of the formula I. Here the same preferences apply as given before.
A further object of the present invention is the use of a water-miscible quaternary ammonium compound of the formula III, for the preparation of pigment compositions, preferably in powder or bead form, stabilised with respect to microbial contamination, which compositions contain at least one pigment of the formula I. Here the same preferences apply as given before.
The pigment compositions mentioned before are preferably in powder form.
The pigment compositions can be obtained according to the process of the present invention. They can also be obtained by dispersing the relevant pigment in aqueous medium according to common methods and then treating the dispersion in analogy to the abovementioned steps b) and c) of a preferred process of the present invention.
The pigment compositions of the process of the present invention are distinguished by their stability to microbial contamination. In addition, by use of a water-immiscible organic solvent, compositions stable with respect to loss of colour strength are obtained.
The use of the water-miscible quaternary ammonium compounds of formula 1 results in compositions which are stable with respect to microbial contamination. The use of the water-immiscible organic solvent results in compositions which are stable with respect to loss of colour strength. The compositions can be used for the pigmentation of surface coating compositions such as paints or printing inks. They are particularly useful for the pigmentation of aqueous surface coatings such as emulsion paints. In the following examples which further illustrate the present invention, all parts and proportions shown are by weight unless otherwise stated.